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The War Machine - 7/7/2014 4:39:00 AM

hawkunit

Posts: 3
Joined: 6/20/2014
Status: offline

Hi gang,

I was hoping to solicit a few strategies for the planning stages of an offensive campaign, specifically with respect to troop occupation of captured planets. My questions are listed below:

1) I usually end up leaving behind a handful of ground troops with each captured planet -- which otherwise are ravaged by pirates -- but this tends to bleed my assault force slowly and leaves experienced units on garrison duty. Is there a better way to do this?

2) Also, for planet garrisons -- I assume that defense units are the only way to go based on their tech upgrades?

3) Is there a better way to defend captured star systems other than stationing small fleets in every system you occupy? I've tried to use defensive fleets postured (with fleet automation) to watch over nearby systems and sectors in their blue "bubbles," but it seems like the only way they RELIABLY respond to attacks is if they are in the same system. I could save a lot on maintenance if defensive fleets were better at defending neighboring systems. Again, is there a better way to do this? Defensive platforms maybe? I don't care for the fact they can't defend mines.

As always, thanks for the thoughts.

Post #: 1

RE: The War Machine - 7/7/2014 5:16:53 AM

Tcby

Posts: 342
Joined: 12/16/2013
From: Australia
Status: offline

You can build a robotic troop foundry to solve your troop problems. Robotic troops are much weaker, but also cheaper and fast to produce. So make lots of battle bots at some planet (probably capital) and send them to your new colonies to serve as garrisons.

< Message edited by Tcby -- 7/7/2014 6:17:11 AM >

(in reply to hawkunit)

Post #: 2

RE: The War Machine - 7/7/2014 7:47:15 AM

The_Draf

Posts: 4
Joined: 6/26/2014
Status: offline

Founding and guarding new colonies are usual very expensive. I my current game I am playing as Quameno. I use five troops per planet and five ships. Troops cost 1k per unit and the ships around 4k. That is 25k per colony, which is a lot for a race as strapped for cash as the Quameno. Probably going to change my strategy next game. I will probably do a massive wave of explorers to locate the pirate bases in range of my new colonies and destroy them before I colonize. That should cut down on the garrison fleets and troops needed to guard the colonies.

(in reply to Tcby)

Post #: 3

RE: The War Machine - 7/7/2014 7:49:54 AM

Kilravock

Posts: 65
Joined: 6/10/2014
Status: offline

For the shadows and universes versions I only want to invade a couple planets in a quick invasion with 2 to 5 invasion fleets of troop transports. This is after I destroyed their fleets or at least their local forces. I want to peace out or conquer the empire quickly before the invaded planets start to revolt. Another reason is offensive troops are expensive so I don't want more than I need for short wars and ops.

1. That was a great method pre-shadows, but I think it's a bad idea now. Pirates are not a serious threat when you wage a war, it's the large population of the colonies you just invaded. They can revolt and destroy the garrison forces you leave behind until you make peace. Large colonies can a raise a militia force that can overwhelm your entire invasion force. As a result I only take a couple colonies, leaving my troops there unless I need them for another invasion. For very small colonies I just glass them and move on with plans to send a colony ship after the war. Your method does work still, but you have weight the risks.

2. I use about three or four infantry. I don't really care too much what race they are, they are just there to fight off pirate raiders, deal with pirate bases, and discourage empires from invading them. They don't stand a chance against a real invasion. The defense units are good at damaging pods and pirates seem to avoid planets with them if they have other targets. They do cost a lot and a better strategy is to hunt down the pirates raiding you with your fleets and agents. Or buy a protection agreement until you can hunt them down.

3. Keep in mind you can't defend everything. Those who try to defend everything defend nothing. So only try to defend important colonies with defense bases and fleets. Position your fleets in strategic positions when you are not actively using them so they can be quickly used instead of trying to fly them across your empire. I use the defense posture settings for this and to use the fleets I am not using as a reserve. For me fleets are offensive and counter offensive tools and should be used for that. If you are on the offense, the enemy will try to defend itself against your fleets or launch invasions on your weaker unimportant colonies. You will lose colonies, but who cares if some little mining colony gets invaded for a few months if you just destroyed all your enemies' ports, fleets and are now occupying their core colonies. You will take your colonies back in the mop up with your reserves.

Robotic troops are great for long wars because they are cheap and you can raise armies of them in a short time. They work well with retaking any colonies you lost and you can drop them off as garrison troops.

< Message edited by Kilravock -- 7/7/2014 9:02:19 AM >

(in reply to Tcby)

Post #: 4

RE: The War Machine - 7/7/2014 8:18:26 AM

Keston

Posts: 300
Joined: 5/7/2010
Status: offline

If the planet rebels or is provoked to rebel, that helps train up troops to veteran so I ship in inexperienced troops to learn.

Veteran troops cost the same maintenance as Green troops but in my for Keskudons can get to double attack and defend power. This makes veterans a cost-effective garrison.

Recruiting locally can be useful depending on troop cost and fighting qualities, which vary a lot. My best Keskudon and Sluken veteran infantry right now get to 30K attack or defense and cost 343 and 392 maintenance. Ketarov and Ritzoh raised in emergencies to help provide a token delaying garrison against unrest seem to start in the 8K range, which is probably the low end in general. They will probably be used up in suicide missions or disbanded when shipping is available to deliver a better garrison - but meanwhile will provide time for reinforcement if an enemy lands.

Please note that the Sluken planetary defense units, recruited at Experienced, are 10400 Att 13900 Def and a painful 1568 maintenance cost (pirate protection may be cheaper). These numbers are to damage troops as they land. Once they land, infantry is good at defense and cheap as teh primary defenders. PDUs also take up 4 spaces on transports, another reason for my recommending 8-space assault transports with good speed and heavy protection as PDUs are good against a counter-invasion.

I saw no reason for battle bots for Keskkudons other than providing emergency reinforcements at the factory planet, but I'd look at that as an option for empires with less formidable infantry (once it is clear how the bots will work and be costed).

Regarding space defense, bases are the standard point defense. If you go with minimum-necessary utility starports to save money, but want to be able to cover a planet defensively on a temporary basis, you don't need fast ships. In my current Keskudon game the concussion missiles have been well developed and I am using missile cruisers and fighter/bombers more heavily. Taking out all but one engine and one thruster plus a big portion of the fuel cells creates a "monitor" that can be stationed at a base or planet to provide half again more firepower than the original missile cruiser can deliver because it does not need to be tactically mobile. It is essentially a mobile defensive base that can relocate as needed for defense, or hyper into an offensive battle at a planet.

< Message edited by Keston -- 7/7/2014 9:21:06 AM >

(in reply to Tcby)

Post #: 5

RE: The War Machine - 7/7/2014 2:29:40 PM

Ceorl

Posts: 20
Joined: 6/11/2014
Status: offline

The AI is sadly incapable of mounting an effective defense within your empire or conquered worlds, although it is okay at attacking. The problem is that the AI, save for the homeworld, cannot understand strategic importance or, apparently, respond to enemy attacks. Save for spaceport construction based on population, the AI will spend as much effort protecting a 30m colony as a 5000m core world; which is to say not much as I've watched fleets needed to protect announced invasions instead speed into the heart of enemy space for pointless raids.

The most effective offensive campaign is a short one. Take your fleets with high troops numbers and manually attack an enemy world without a declaration of war. Your reputation takes a hit, but you've generally accomplished your objective before the enemy AI has a chance to respond. Sue for peace as soon as you can afford it; might be gamey but the friendly AI cannot defend worlds (oddly enough the enemy AI generally does a better job at defending and launching attacks). This will allow your AI to restock their troop numbers and assign garrisons in peace, rather than engaging in their horrible prioritization routine of launching ineffective raids. Since Distant World has almost no truce mechanic, which fyi should be a standard for 4x games, rinse and repeat as necessary.

(in reply to Keston)

Post #: 6

RE: The War Machine - 7/8/2014 12:05:30 AM

Keston

Posts: 300
Joined: 5/7/2010
Status: offline

There is no need to skip a declaration of war. Forces may be on their way and a declaration given shortly before they arrive, as the Japanese attempted unsuccessfully in 1941. Better yet, stage in space, so they won't be detected as directly incoming to their targets but instead headed somewhere else.

(in reply to Ceorl)

Post #: 7